Not too cool for school! Shawn Mendes may just be the kinder, gentler Justin Bieber. The Canadian pop star, 19, tells Us that his mother served as his main inspiration when he developed his first fragrance, Shawn Mendes Signature. “My best scent memories are the scents of my home growing up – my mum cooking and being outside in the backyard.” It’s no wonder then, that the Treat You Better singer’s favorite notes in Signature are maple and apple. “They give the fragrance this Canadian forest, but also sweet, scent at the same time,” he says.

Mendes sat down with Stylish to answer a few questions about his beauty passion project, and also spilled a few surprising secrets, including what’s on his playlist right now (we just downloaded them!)

Stylish: How is a scent like a song?

Mendes: I’d say they both are somewhat a way to express yourself. When making this fragrance it was a really creative process. The packaging, very similar to album art, had to be just right. The scent itself had to be perfect and true to me. It was something I really needed to be perfect like my music.

Mendes: I really think the best fragrances are ones you can wear every day. What I love about my fragrance Signature is that it’s subtle and great to wear for any person at any time.

Shawn MendesCourtesy Danny Clinch

Stylish: What scent do you always wear?

Mendes: Shawn Mendes Signature is great, and I’ve always had a go-to fragrance in the past, something I always make sure I have with me. Scents that are really natural and aren’t over-bearing have been what I’ve always gravitated towards.